what to do with old Dot Matrix printer?
OhioGuy
that I haven't used a lot in the past year or so. I've started
rearranging our bedroom, and found myself thinking about throwing it out.
It works just fine, though it prints at half the speed it did in DOS
for some reason - under Windows '95 and greater, it started only
printing one direction, instead of both directions like it used to -
effectively making it half the original speed.
Anyway, I don't like the idea of adding to landfill waste, but I
think that perhaps I may end up giving it up finally to make more space
in our room. On the other hand, there were a couple of times when I was
able to use it when our primary computer had trouble.
Anyone have any thoughts on finally getting rid of something you've
had for a long time, which still works, but seems slow?
Lou
"OhioGuy" <no...@none.net> wrote in message
news:gkgm5e$cc5$1...@news.ett.com.ua...
The world is full of this stuff - stuff that's outdated for whatever reason,
but not broken, and still workable. That's why more mature folks have
mismatched dishes and flatware, clothes that are out of date and don't
match, junque in their cellars and garages. People even rent storage units
to hold the overflow of stuff.
Whether you heap it all up in one place and call that place a dump or
landfill, or distribute it around so that it's clutter in your living space,
it's still garbage, junk, trash. It's going to end up in a landfill sooner
or later. Spare your kids the trouble of cleaning up your mess after you're
dead and gone - get rid of it.
Chris Marksberry
Offer it on Freecycle.
James
<rmarksbe...@comcast.NoSpam.net> wrote:
> "OhioGuy" <n...@none.net> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
It would be perfect for people like me who only uses a printer several
times a decade.
Gary Heston
> I've got a roughly 19 year old Panasonic KXP-1124 dot matrix printer
>that I haven't used a lot in the past year or so. I've started
>rearranging our bedroom, and found myself thinking about throwing it out.
> It works just fine, though it prints at half the speed it did in DOS
>for some reason - under Windows '95 and greater, it started only
>printing one direction, instead of both directions like it used to -
>effectively making it half the original speed.
Have you tried looking on Panasonics' web site for a more current driver?
Might be able to get it back to full-speed operation.
> Anyway, I don't like the idea of adding to landfill waste, but I
>think that perhaps I may end up giving it up finally to make more space
>in our room. On the other hand, there were a couple of times when I was
>able to use it when our primary computer had trouble.
Check with a technology recycler in your area; there are still a few
applications for impact printers--logging activity on a sercurity system,
for example. Printing is done in real time, and makes tampering more
difficult.
> Anyone have any thoughts on finally getting rid of something you've
>had for a long time, which still works, but seems slow?
Craigslist/freecycle, which I think someone else has mentioned.
Gary
--
Gary Heston ghe...@hiwaay.net http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
"Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man"
General of the Army (four stars) Ann Dunwoody
meow...@care2.com
Dot matrix printers have high resale prices now that theyre not
common. Theyre used by businesses that print multipart forms, for
which theyre pretty much the only usable technology.
Computer kit isnt known for longevity, so backup equipment has its
uses. I cant imagine it being worth going back to technology as crude
as that though. You can get a new laser printer for not much now.
NT
hchi...@hotmail.com
wrote:
>In article <gkgm5e$cc5$1...@news.ett.com.ua>, OhioGuy <no...@none.net> wrote:
>> I've got a roughly 19 year old Panasonic KXP-1124 dot matrix printer
>>that I haven't used a lot in the past year or so. I've started
>>rearranging our bedroom, and found myself thinking about throwing it out.
>
>> It works just fine, though it prints at half the speed it did in DOS
>>for some reason - under Windows '95 and greater, it started only
>>printing one direction, instead of both directions like it used to -
>>effectively making it half the original speed.
Unidirectional printing can be from a couple of causes. First, if you
select "best quality" or graphics, a lot of printers go into that mode
to have a single reference point for each line, rather than one at
each end, which can be improperly matched. Secondly, the fault mode
for overheating puts dot matrix printers into unidirectional mode,
which allow the printhead and printer to cool.
>Have you tried looking on Panasonics' web site for a more current driver?
>Might be able to get it back to full-speed operation.
>
>> Anyway, I don't like the idea of adding to landfill waste, but I
>>think that perhaps I may end up giving it up finally to make more space
>>in our room. On the other hand, there were a couple of times when I was
>>able to use it when our primary computer had trouble.
>
>Check with a technology recycler in your area; there are still a few
>applications for impact printers--logging activity on a sercurity system,
>for example. Printing is done in real time, and makes tampering more
>difficult.
Yep, some situations work best with dot-matrix. Audit trails are
another example.
>> Anyone have any thoughts on finally getting rid of something you've
>>had for a long time, which still works, but seems slow?
>
>Craigslist/freecycle, which I think someone else has mentioned.
>
>
>Gary
Although the Panasonics were common as dirt, the curve has bottomed
out on dot matrix printers. Most people have dumped them, and those
who still need them are now having to pay higher prices for used ones.
The higher end Okis in like-new condition are being sold at better
than half the price of a new one.
Arthur Shapiro
>that I haven't used a lot in the past year or so.
That was generally considered the best consumer-level dot matrix printer in
the late 80's, and really did a fine job. As a totally off-topic anecdote: I
remember going to purchase it at one store - Comp USA? - and then going
elsewhere because they were giving a free Panasonic bicycle with each printer!
(I don't ride low end bicycles). One guy had five bicycles strapped atop his
car.
There's utterly no need for most folks to have a dot matrix printer these
days, but for someone printing multi-part forms it would stll be valuable. It
wouldn't hurt to throw it on your local CraigsList, if you're in a big enough
area where the Computer listings get a lot of traffic.
I can appreciate your reluctance to trash it; I think we all have stuff that
we'll never use again but just intuitively seems to have some value.
Art
Gary Heston
<hchi...@hotmail.com> wrote:
[ ... ]
>Although the Panasonics were common as dirt, the curve has bottomed
>out on dot matrix printers. Most people have dumped them, and those
>who still need them are now having to pay higher prices for used ones.
>The higher end Okis in like-new condition are being sold at better
>than half the price of a new one.
Hmmm... Maybe I need to dust off the Microline 93...
Siskuwihane
> I've got a roughly 19 year old Panasonic KXP-1124 dot matrix printer
> Anyone have any thoughts on finally getting rid of something you've
> had for a long time, which still works, but seems slow?
One just sold on Ebay for $42. That's 2 tanks of gas (more or less).
www.Queensbridge.us
I own two KX-P1124's.
One is connected to my network of two computers,
and one I am keeping as a back up.
In all I have owned three of them.
One I gave away after using it for over twenty years and printing
maybe a total of half a million pieces. The plastic guides were
wearing away.
I use my KX-P1124
for printing labels.
Dot matrix labels are a lot cheaper then laser printer labels,
and peel off faster when doing big mailings.
I used to re-ink my ribbons.
I pay under 1 cent per page for both paper and ink..
Laser cost more to print.
I use my networked
Xerox XD100 laser printer for
photos and Google maps
A friend gave away his KX-P1124
and now would like one again.
I BOUGHT my last two used.
You can get free paper thu free-cyle groups on Yahoo
www.Queensbridge.us
I think reason that it prints slower with Windows is because with
Windows,
you are not sending ASCII codes to the printer, but rather graphics.
I find that annoying also.
At this very moment, 1/24/09, I am printing out TWO PART forms with my
"old Panasonic KXP-1124 dot matrix printer".
Got the paper for free and am making notices to hand out re a
community meeting.
Okikuru
ghe...@hiwaay.net (Gary Heston) wrote:
> Hmmm... Maybe I need to dust off the Microline 93...
I still use my Imagewriter II with a Classic MAC.
mostly for flyers.
--
Now,is the time for all good men to come
to the aid of their country.